To the honorable YB Salahuddin Ayub, as an MP and also vice president of a senior opposition party I think your statements during the recently organized debate by Sinar Harian were both out of order and veritably rude to all Hindu religion believers in our country. YB, this debate was to explore if street demonstrations strengthen or weaken a democratic system. Yet you likened a pious spiritual activity such as the holy Thaipusam festival to street demonstrations. This similarity you have advocated has slighted and desecrated the holy event and injured the feelings of the over 1 million Hindu practitioners in the nation.

YB, I would like to request you to please clarify how a holy Hindu religious event such as the Thaipusam celebrations can be likened to a politically and socially aligned event such as street demonstrations. The two mentioned events are apart as much as night and day. Thaipusam is a day that devotees fully embrace divine fervor and offer thanksgiving to the all pervading god for his blessings and ocean like compassions. By equating this holy event to a street demonstration is both insulting and very hurting to the Hindus of our beloved nation and also shows either your care less attitude towards the Hindus who belong to the Indian community or just plain naivety towards the lofty ideals of the Thaipusam celebration. Either way I feel it’s your responsibility to please clarify your statement or more appropriately unreservedly apologize for this gross mistake of a statement.

Too add insult to injury you have also said that the Hindus who carry the kavadi during this spiritual ceremony are semi conscious and yet they don’t need tear gas to keep the situation calm. Sir, this statement reeks of political expediency and is not a character becoming of someone so senior in our countries political environment. Belittling the practices of another religion and calling the devotees semi- conscious street demonstrators shows your lack of understanding and respect to the Hindu devotees of our Malaysia. In a land with such a rich tradition of many cultures and multi religious such statements are unwarranted and even seditious in nature. Bearing this in mind id like your response and clarification to your statement in the next 24 hours, barring which a more appropriate action will be taken.